(CNN) - The increasingly charged Democratic race for the White House appears to be hurting Hillary Clinton significantly more than Barack Obama, a just-released poll suggests.

According to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, the New York senator's personal approval rating has dropped markedly, and those that hold a negative view of her have reached 48 percent - the highest in that poll since March 2001. Just 37 percent now have a positive view of Clinton - down from 45 percent two weeks ago.

The new poll comes at the end of one of the most hostile months in the Democratic presidential primary race, during which surrogates for both campaigns resigned after uttering controversial statements, and controversy swirled around Obama over past statements by his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright.

But despite fears by some of Obama's backers that the Wright controversy would take a toll on the Illinois senator and his presidential hopes, the new poll shows his approval rating has remained virtually unchanged at 49 percent. Only 32 percent of Americans give him a negative approval rating.

Meanwhile, in head-to-head matchups Clinton and Obama remain deadlocked for the nomination, each drawing 45 percent among Democratic voters. Both are also statistically tied with John McCain in matchups: Clinton is two points behind the Arizona senator while Obama is two points ahead - both within the poll’s margin of error of 4 percentage points.

soundoff(178 Responses)

kate

Hillary needs to stop. Period

March 27, 2008 12:23 pm at 12:23 pm |

Dave in Atlanta

This is precisely why I can't agree with Bill when he says negativity should be part of politics. The sort of negative Karl Rove type tactics employed by the republicans is precisely why Bush has a low approval rating right now. I don't want a liberal edition of Bush in the white house. I want someone who can run a campaign without resorting to negativity.

March 27, 2008 12:23 pm at 12:23 pm |

Chris from San Antonio

It just goes to show you that you don't need a likable President, just one that is able to lead our nation at 3 a.m. from Day 1.

We need a president that fights for the disenfranchised voters in MI and FL, but is compelled to steal the delegates from all the other states and disenfranchise them.

We need a president that has years foreign policy experience serving tea to world leaders and dodging bullets from 8-year old poets.

We need a president that's willing to do just about anything to win.

March 27, 2008 12:23 pm at 12:23 pm |

Burt

These numbers are trumped up to feed the fire fight between the different campaigns and to present to the voters a negative view of Senator Clinton. When you ask the voter what has Senator Clinton done to you specifically to deserve all that hate, these voters don't have an answer. From their style of reporting, there are media organizations that are trying to influence the voter and keep on peddling stories of the sort. For those pollsters who are suppose to serve the greater good, ASK THE VOTERS WHAT SPECIFICALLY Senator Clinton has done to them to deserve all that hate.

March 27, 2008 12:23 pm at 12:23 pm |

honestly

What's new.
No matter who is to blame, everything always ends up hurting Clinton

March 27, 2008 12:23 pm at 12:23 pm |

Mark M

NBC has already admitted to over-sampling the African American community in this poll. I wouldn't put enough faith in these recent numbers,

March 27, 2008 12:23 pm at 12:23 pm |

BAKARI

HILARY CLINTON IS HER OWN ENEMY. SHE THINKS BY BEING NEGATIVE IT HELP HER BUT IT HURTING HER. TRUST ME ALOT OF PEOPLE SENSE IT AND THE ONLY THING SHE HAS IS HATE. SHE DOES NOT HAVE LOVE FOR AMERICA. SHE HAS LOVE FOR POWER AND ITS GOING TO WORK AGAINST HER.AMERICANS ARE NOT BLIND.

March 27, 2008 12:24 pm at 12:24 pm |

richard, Coweta Ok

And this is supposed to be a surprise?

March 27, 2008 12:24 pm at 12:24 pm |

Rodrique

This is politics, not a picnic. We know that dirty laundry will be exposed on both sides.

March 27, 2008 12:24 pm at 12:24 pm |

of course

Nothing sticks to Obama the chosen one.

We are all too busy trying to smack Clinton

March 27, 2008 12:24 pm at 12:24 pm |

Joe

Who cares about the national polls for Clinton or Obama vs. McCain?The popular vote nationally means nothing (so the poll means nothing). Show us state-by-state polls for the purpose of the electoral college or pick 3-5 "swing states" and show us those polls for the head-to-head. It's the electoral college, not the popular vote that matters.

March 27, 2008 12:24 pm at 12:24 pm |

Bill

As it should.

March 27, 2008 12:25 pm at 12:25 pm |

Carl from Pa

Finally, a poll that reflects my own opinion. I am one of those people that thinks this election can go on, but there is no way Hillary can win. I am also one of those people that will be deeply upset if Hillary somehow does win. The sad part about all this is that I don't deeply dissagree with her policies but rather her politics. She has done nothing on this compaign to make me like her in any way and now that she knows she can't win she wants all her superdelegate friends to bail her out. If that happens, I'm moving to Canada.

March 27, 2008 12:25 pm at 12:25 pm |

pam

I see in the distance someone's boat is sinking I hope the Clinton's Donors that are threatening Pelosi are on that boat too!
Sorry we forgot to put lifejackets on the boat OOPS!

Negativity breeds negativity! All respect I did have for Hillary is totally gone and I would not want her to be president. How low would she go with foreign leaders to get her way. That is scary.

I am Canadian and the World is watching and if she became President, I will not shop or visit the United States if she became President especially if it is done by blackmail by her donors.

March 27, 2008 12:25 pm at 12:25 pm |

Sue

She should stay behind. Her campaign is an absolute disgrace to the American idea of democracy.

March 27, 2008 12:25 pm at 12:25 pm |

Miles

Hillary Clinton: The more you know her, the less you like her.

March 27, 2008 12:25 pm at 12:25 pm |

JP, PA

Can someone get this woman out of the side, pelase? Because of her nastiness, the party will be seriously damaged by November and we end up we McCain-extension of Bush policis

March 27, 2008 12:26 pm at 12:26 pm |

CaliPeach

OBAMA 08 (SHALL ANYMORE BE SAID)

YES WE CAN
YES WE CAN
YES WE CAN
YES WE CAN

March 27, 2008 12:26 pm at 12:26 pm |

Spirit of America

Wall Street Journal? Isn't that a newspaper owned and run by the right-wing Rupert Murdock propaganda machine? NBC? Isn't that a network owned and run by Westinghouse, a major military contractor?
Expect truth from these characters? Go Hillary! You got them really worried now.

March 27, 2008 12:26 pm at 12:26 pm |

dawn

I think that what has hurt her more than anything else is that she bold faced lied to us about her sniper fire attack in Bosnia. That showed her total lack of honesty.

March 27, 2008 12:26 pm at 12:26 pm |

Enrique, Chicago

Hillary came into this race as a highly polarizing figure. She has now managed to become a divisive and polarizing figure in her own Democratic party.

March 27, 2008 12:26 pm at 12:26 pm |

Jess Grady

I have been watchinng Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton talkes on the economy and I think they both have good plans.

Why not have a Obama/ Clinton or Clinton/ Obama ticket?

March 27, 2008 12:27 pm at 12:27 pm |

Lisa

If Hillary wins, I think I will move out of the US. Who here doesn't know that the front of Clinton's personal plane was used to smuggle cocaine into the US? Do you really want a woman to run the most powerful country? I'm sure that will go over well with our enemies.

March 27, 2008 12:27 pm at 12:27 pm |

talk about negative

CNN hits new low...just another spin

March 27, 2008 12:27 pm at 12:27 pm |

Just Thinking

Someone has to stand up and say the neg. ends with them. If not the only people that will end up hurt will be the american people they seek to protect.

The family's out there dying because they can't afford the health care to live in this county deserve better.